The wealthy and accomplished Georgiana Darcy has made her debut into society and has attracted quite an abundance of suitors. Some of these suitors are mostly attracted to her fortune and connections while others find her sweet and innocent disposition the main attraction. Under Mr. Darcy’s watchful and protective eye, Georgiana is courted by a variety of men, from politicians and abolitionists, to clergymen and soldiers. Mr. Darcy better be on his guard because Georgiana seems to have blossomed under the attention and admiration from one gentleman in particular, but is he the right man for her?

What I enjoyed most about this book is how Ms. Burris’s Georgiana Darcy flourishes! She truly becomes a heroine that readers cannot help but admire. She emerges out of her shy and demure shell and under the influence of her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Darcy, gains some courage and confidence. I greatly enjoyed the relationship between Elizabeth and Georgiana in this novel, as I always believed that they would become close sisters. Georgiana is portrayed with a strong inner spirit, a keen and independent mind, and a romantic heart. She desires to find a love than is not just based on attraction and esteem, but based on a true meeting of minds and souls. I just simply adore her!

In the Introduction to Conviction Ms. Burris asserts that since she cannot “hope to imitate sufficiently Jane Austen’s unique and superbly subtle wit,” she wrote in her own writing style instead. Furthermore, Ms. Burris acknowledges that she included more extensive political and historical background in her writing than Jane Austen would have done. I truly do appreciate and admire Ms. Burris for her honesty and perception. True, there were some political elements in her novel, but that was partly because some of the characters were abolitionists. Moreover, these elements were not too prominent or too heavily focused upon and were a pleasant addition. It in no way felt like a history textbook. In addition, while Ms. Burris disclaims being able to imitate Jane Austen’s wonderful wit, I was surprised to discover that she possesses a very clever and cunning wit of her own. As the narrator, Ms. Burris often employed a satirical and sardonic voice that frequently made me laugh out loud.

Conviction not only touches upon themes of abolitionism and slavery, but also themes of faith and God. This was a pleasant surprise! At times I felt this novel was not only a Pride and Prejudice sequel, but a Christian Fiction/Inspirational novel as well. These themes were woven in beautifully and meaningfully into the novel and stressed the point: whatever your calling in life is, you must possess the conviction to answer that call with all your heart.

If you are looking for a Pride and Prejudice sequel that tells the fate of Georgiana Darcy, Conviction is a novel you should not miss. Because Georgiana is in the forefront of this novel, it does mean that there isn’t as much about Darcy and Elizabeth. Don’t worry though, they are still present; readers will be satisfied to see not only do Darcy and Elizabeth still engage in their battles of wit and wills, but they also share some of the most loving and tender moments together.

Conviction is a beautifully original and well-rounded sequel for our beloved Pride and Prejudice. I highly recommend it!

14 Responses to “Conviction – Skylar Hamilton Burris”

I saw you were reading this last week and have been really looking forward to your review! In many ways I greatly enjoyed this book (I think I actually read it twice), but the Christian/Inspirational aspect struck me as an odd choice for an Austen sequel. I feel like it imposed a modern conception on/dialog about faith upon a world in which religion was spoken and conceived of in very different terms than it is now, which (for me) took away from the novel’s believability. I was wondering if you felt like it worked and am glad it was no hindrance, but rather an enhancement, to your enjoyment.

This is one of several novels (including the one I have coming out in Dec.) in which Georgiana is brought to the fore. I think it shows that Austen’s readers want a little more flesh on Miss Darcy’s bones. Since there is so little of her in P&P, she is truly a blank canvas. I think this one will get on my “I think I’ll actually buy this one” list. Thanks.

I just finished reading this book this weekend. I loved it. It seemed I could hardly put it down. No sexual exploits to worry about. I loved the development of Georgiana’s personality. Just a really fun book.